Ghana’s sanitation challenges will persist unless authorities enforce laws and invest in long-term behavioural change, civil engineer and environmental activist Heneba Kwadwo Safo has said.
Safo, founder of the volunteer group BuzStopBoys, told the Asaase Breakfast Show on Thursday (28 May) that while recent moves to restrict harmful plastics are welcome, they must be backed by stronger enforcement and sustained public education.
“It is long overdue, but better late than never,” he said of the planned styrofoam ban, citing both environmental and health risks linked to the material.
Drawing from field experience, Safo described public resistance encountered during clean-up exercises, including instances where residents refused to cooperate.
“We went to clean an area where waste was being dumped into drains, and the people responsible refused to even come out,” he said. “They see volunteers as a nuisance because there is no authority backing the effort.”
He stressed that sanitation must be elevated to a national priority, led by government institutions rather than relying solely on volunteers.
“If enforcement is not there, behaviour will not change,” Safo said.
He proposed stricter penalties for offenders, including public accountability measures such as community service or “name-and-shame” approaches to deter littering.
“If someone is caught dumping waste, give them a task — let them clean 100 metres of gutter,” he said.
Beyond enforcement, Safo advocated for systemic reforms, including structured waste collection schedules and decentralised recycling systems.
He suggested that communities establish plastic collection centres and adopt organised waste separation days, such as designated days for plastics and organic waste.
“People need to know when and where to dispose of waste properly,” he said.
Safo also highlighted the economic potential of waste, noting that plastics can be recycled into construction materials such as pavement blocks, creating jobs while improving infrastructure.
“Waste is not just a problem — it is a resource,” he said.
He emphasised the importance of targeting young people through sustained education, arguing that meaningful change could take up to a decade.
“If we focus on education today, in 10 years we will see a generation with a different mindset,” he said.
Safo warned that Ghana cannot afford to still be grappling with basic sanitation issues decades after independence.
“We will be 70 years as a country soon. We cannot still be struggling with sanitation,” he added.
Asaase 99.5 Accra, Asaase 98.5 Kumasi, Asaase 100.3 Cape Coast, AsaasePa 107.3 (Accra)
Affiliates: Bawku FM 101.5, Bead FM 99.9 (Bimbilla), Mining City Radio 89.5 (Tarkwa), Nandom FM 101.9, Nyatefe Radio 94.5 (Dzodze), Sissala Radio 96.3 (Tumu), Somuaa FM 89.9 (Gushegu), Stone City 90.7 (Ho) and Wale FM 106.9 (Walewale)
Listen online: atlanticafricanews.com/, Sound Garden and TuneIn
Follow us:
X: @asaaseradio995, @Asaase985ksi, @asaase1003, asaasepa1073
Instagram: asaaseradio99.5, asaase985ksi, asaase100.3, asaasepa107.3
LinkedIn: company/asaaseradio995. TikTok: @asaaseradio99.5
Facebook: asaase99.5, asaase985ksi, Asaase100.3, AsaasePa107.3
YouTube: AsaaseRadioXtra
Join the conversation. Accra: call 020 000 9951/050 009 0121, WhatsApp 020 000 0995. Kumasi: call 059 415 7985 or call/WhatsApp 020 631 5260. Cape Coast: call/WhatsApp 059 388 2652.
#AsaaseRadio
#AsaasePa
#TheVoiceofOurLand
